Releasing overshot



March 24, 1931. JONES ET AL RELEASING OVERSHOT Filed Jan. 25, 1929 //1 V vr0/e a fZZEO Jan 6 ,C. J/f/A A EB Patented Mar. 24, 1931 UNITED STATES P r r rFi'cE FRED J ON ES, HENRY SCHWAB, AN D CHARLES I. SKIN NEE, OF VENTURA, CALIFORNIA RELEASING OVERSHO'IL" Application filed January 23, 1929. Serial No. 334,531.

Our invention relates generally to oil well tools or appliances and more particularly to a releasing overshot, that is a tool that 1s utilized for engaging and removing from the bottom or lower portion of the well hole tools or parts of toolsor portions of drill tubes or the like that are stuck and which can only be engaged and removed by fishing operations.

The principal objects of our invention are to generally improve upon and simplify the construction of the existing forms of overshots, to provide an overshot that is capable of being easily and quickly released from the tool or object to which it is applied, further to provide an overshot of the character referred to that is equipped with relatively simple means for very firmly clamping the tube rod or tool that is stuck, and further to provide an overshot that is relatively simple in construction, inexpensive of manufacture,

strong-and durable, and very effective in performing the functions for which it is intended.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, our invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts that will hereinafter be more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the V accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section taken-lengthwise through the center of a releasing overshot constructed in accordance with our invention, and showing the rod or tool clamping member in position to receive the member that is to be removed from the well hole.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view partly in section and showing the parts thereof in position to clamp thestuck tool or tube.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken on the line 55 of Fig.1.

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view showing a modified form of the means employ-ed forretaining the rotary locking member in set position within .the body of the tool.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a practical embodiment of our invention, 10 designates a shell or tubular member that forms the main body of our improved overshot and removably connected to the upper end of said bod preferably by a threaded connection, is the lower end of a short tubular member 11, the upper end of which is detachably connected, preferably by a. threaded connection, to the lower end of a string of tubing 12. i

The lower portion of the wall of the tubular body 10 is increased in thickness, as designated by 13, and such construction provides an internally arranged horizontally disposed shoulder 14 between. the lower portion of the body 10 and the upper end of the portion 13 of increased thickness. 7

The opening or throat 15 that is formed through the lower portion 13 of the body is eccentric or offset relative to the cylindrical chamber within the body 10 and the lower end of said throat 15 is tapered or flared outwardly, as designated by 16, thus enabling the lower end of the overshot to be readily passed over the upper end of the tube or tool that is to be removed.

Loosely mountedwithin the tubular body 10 of the tool,above the shoulder, 14, is a short cylindrical member 17 through which is formed an opening 18, and said opening being offset or eccentric with respect to the axis of the tool and said opening also gradually decreasing in diameter toward its .upper end.

Formed in the lower end of this'member 17 is a series of notches l9 and seated in the lower portion-of the wall of body 10 is a pin or lug 20 that is adapted to enter any one of said notches. These notches and the pin and lugare arranged so that when the lower end of member 17 rests upon the shoulder 14, pin or lug 20 occupies one of the notches and thus holds the member 17 against rotary movement. I

Arranged to move freely within the upper portion of the chamber in the tubular body 10 and below the lower end of the tubular connection 11 is a short tubular member 21 the same being concentrically arranged within said body 10, and resting on an external shoulder 22 that is formed on the lower portion of said tubular member is the lower end of an expansive coil spring 23, the upper end of which bears on a shoulder 2 1 that is formed within the tubular connection 11.

Spring 28 yieldingly resists the upward movement of the tubular member 21 and the clamping member 17.

To set our improved overshot for use, looking member 17 is moved upward within the tubular body 10, and rotated so as to bring its offset Or eccentric opening 18 into axial alinement with the offset or eccentric opening 15 in the lower end of body 10, and said locking member is now moved downward until its lower end rests on the shoulder 141- and in such position the pin or lug 2O occupies a notch at the end of the series of notches 19 and thus said locking member 17 is retained in its set position.

Thus when the tool is set for use the tapered opening 18 in locking member 17 is in alinement with the offset opening 15 at the lower end of the body 10 and the alined openings 15 andlS are eccentric or offset with respect to the axis of the body 10 and the openings through the members 11 and 21.

The overshot is now lowered into the well until it reaches the broken upper end of the tube that is stuck and said overshot is manipulated until it passes downwardly over the upper end of the stuck tube and the latter passes upwardly through the tool until the upper one of the couplings on the tube passes into and wedges within the tapered opening 18 in the locking member 17.

This wedging action is brought about by reason of the fact that the upper end of the opening 18 in the locking member 17 is smaller in diameter than the diameter of the collar or coupling on the tube that is engaged by the tool.

lVhen the coupling has thus been wedged within the locking member the tool is moved downward, thus compressing the spring 23 and moving the shoulder let away from the lower end of the locking member 17 which remains stationary inasmuch as it is wedged upon the collar or coupling of the engaged tube.

As the body of the tool moves downward relative to the locking member 17, the pin or lug 20 is disengaged from the notch in which it has been seated and following such dis-en gagement the tool is partially rotated anticlockwise or toward the left hand, and as a result of such partial rotation the eccentric opening 15 in the lower end of the body of the tool is shifted into a diametrically opposite offset position relative to the e;centric tapered opening 18 in the locking member 17, and as the latter is wedged on the couling of the engaged tube, the tool will be hhifted laterally to a slight degree so that the lower end of the collar within the locking member 17 is positioned above the shoulder 1 1 at the upper end of the opening 15, and that portion of the engaged tube immediately below the coupling will be wedged or clamped against the side of the eccentric opening 15, as illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 2.

A slight upward movement of the tool will cause the pin or lug 20 to re-engage any one of the notches 19, thereby locking the clamping member 17 against rotation and the tool is now drawn upwardly and the engagement of the shoulder 14 against the lower end of the engaged coupling will efi ect a withdrawal of the stuck drill tube.

In Fig. 6 we have shown a modified form of the interengaging means between the clamping member 17 and the body of the tool and which interengaging means comprises a lug 25 that is formed integral with the body 10 of the tool immediately above the shoulder 24, and which lug is adapted to enter any one of aseries of notches 26 that are formed in the lower end of clamping member 17.

In the event that it becomes necessary during fish-ing operations to release the tool from the engaged tube and its coupling the tool is lowered a short distance to disengage pin or lug 20 from the notch in which it has been seated and the tool is now rotated approximately one-halt turn clockwise or toward the right hand, and such movement will shift the tool relative to the clamping member 17 so that the opening 15 is in axial a-linement with the opening 18in the clamping member and the tool may now be drawn upwardly away from the engaged collar.

Thus it will be seen that we have provided an overshot that isrelatively simple in construction, and which is capable of being easi ly and quickly applied to or released from a tube or the like that is to be pulled from a well hole and the clamping and releasing operations being brought about by a partially rotary movement of the tool relative to the member within the tool that is clamped on. the coupling of the engaged tube.

I will be understood that minor changes in the size, form and construction of the various parts of our improved releasing overshot may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the spirit of our invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims.

WVe claim as our invention:

1. In a releasing overshot, a tubular body, a member arranged for sliding rotary movement within said tubular body, and said memher being provided with a longitudinally disposed tapered opening that is eccentric with respect to the axis of the body of the overshot and a spring for resisting the upward sliding movement of said member within said tubular body.

2. In a releasing overshot, a tubular body, a member arranged for sliding and rotary movement within said tubular body, means within said tubular body for limiting the downward movement of said member therein, said member being provided with a longitudinally disposed tapered opening that its eccentric with respect to the axis of the body of the overshot, and yielding pressure means within the body for resisting the movement or" saidmember in one direction.

3. In a releasing overshot, a tubular body, a member arranged for sliding and rotary movement within said tubular body, means within said tubular body for limiting the downward movement of said member therein, said member being provided with a longitudinally disposed tapered opening that is eccentric with respect to the axis of the body of the overshot, yielding pressure means within the body for resisting the movement of said member in one direction, and means for securing said member to said body at one end of its longitudinal travel therein.

l. In a releasing overshot, a tubular body provided adjacent to one end with an internally arranged shoulder, a member arranged for rotary and longitudinal movement within said body above the shoulder therein, a spring pressed member for yieldingly resisting the sliding movement of said member away from said shoulder and said member being provided with a tapered opening that is eccentric with respect to the axis of said body.

5. In a releasing overshot, a tubular body provided adjacent to one end with an internally arranged shoulder, a member arranged for rotary and longitudinal movement within said body above the shoulder therein, said member being provided with a tapered opening that is eccentric with respect to the axis of said body, and means for yieldingly resisting the movement of said member away from said shoulder.

6. In a releasing overshot, a tubular body provided adjacent to one end with an internally arranged shoulder, a member arranged for rotary and longitudinal movement with in said body above the shoulder therein, said member being provided with a tapered opening that is eccentric with respect to the axis of said body, means for yieldinglyresisting the movement of said member away from said shoulder, and means for restraining said member against rotary movement while at the end of its movement toward said shoulder.

7. In a releasing overshot, a tubular body provided with an internally arranged shoulder, a clamping member arranged for rotary movement within said body above said shoulder, said clamping member being provided with a longitudinally disposed tapered opening, and yielding pressure means bearing on said clamping member.

'8. In a releasing overshot, a tubular body provided with an internally arranged shoulder, a clamping member arranged for rotary movement within said body above said shoulder, said clamping member being provided with a longitudinally disposed opening, and means for yieldingly resisting the movement of said clamping member away from said shoulder.

9. In a releasing overshot, a tubular body, i

body, the opening through said tubular memher being tapered and eccentric withrespect to the opening through the tubular body, a shoulder within the tubular body upon which the lower end of the tubular member normally rests, a tubular member concentrically arranged within said tubular body above the member that is maintained for rotary and longitudinal sliding movement, a spring bearing on top of said concentrically arranged member, and means for holding said tubular member against rotary movement while resting upon said shoulder.

11. In a releasing overshot, a pair of tubular members, one enclosed by the other, said members capable of independent longitudinal and rotary movement, the opening in the enclosed member being eccentric relative to the opening in the enclosing member and the opening in said enclosed member tapering from one end to the other. 7

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures.

FRED JONES. HENRY SCHWAB. CHARLES P. SKINN ER. 

